By When life knocks us down, it can be difficult to stay the course. That is why we all need THAT special someone to lift us up & SEE us through our difficulties.
Today, I would like to introduce you to Joy. She is an author, speaker, blogger, and founder of Speak With Joy. Through her platform, she speaks with TRANSPARENCY and INTEGRITY on a variety of topics like faith, purpose, and relationships that we can relate to.
YOLANDA J: So Joy, tell us how Speak With Joy started.
JOY: Speak With Joy is a movement that started from my first blog back in 2015 called, Emotional Leakage Through Ink. I had no idea that my yes to God from that blog site would lead me to become an Empowerment Speaker & an Author. None of that would have happened if I did not experience a breakup. Before my initial blog, I was in a relationship and never gave great thought about PURPOSE and the plans that God had for me in my life. It took pain and releasing of my relationship to have my purpose birthed.
It took pain and releasing of my relationship to have my PURPOSE birthed.
-Joy
So.. you see, I was already carrying my gifts but sometimes pain and difficulty ignites a LIFE that desires us to walk intentionally.
This is Not Your Typical Finding Your Purpose Book
YOLANDA J: So now knowing that we might have to go through pain in order to ignite our purpose, tell us about some of the struggles you faced when starting your movement and how you handled them?
JOY: When I started blogging and published my book, the greatest adversity I faced was fear. Putting your work out there is not easy as many people think. Anything you put out in the world is subject to be judged but the pros of doing so outweighs the con; which was fear.
YOLANDA J: So, what motivated you to keep going?
JOY: What motivates me is God and thinking about my former self. When I think about the difficulty I faced after the breakup, I am reminded that people are searching for answers, real advice, transparency, and comfort. I have a personal philosophy that I live by and it is, “Everything you are going through is someone’s ‘How-To-‘ book”. I hope to write and talk in such a way that I would have found to be beneficial when I was grieving from my breakup in the past. God is my SOURCE! I am aware and admit that I need God’s grace in order to write and SPEAK because He is the one that gives me the ideas and boldness to do just that!
I AM reminded that people are searching for answers, real advice, transparency, and comfort.
YOLANDA J: You talked a little about how God is the SOURCE of all that you do, and now you are able to share this gift with the world to help others. So tell us about any mentors or special people in your life that were there to advise you on how to create avenues towards your movement?
JOY: When I was dealing with the aftermath of the breakup, I had a mentor at the time. She was the one who told me to start my first blog page back in 2015. If it was not for her, I would have never thought that I could get into writing. In 2019, a former staff member at my alma mater introduced me to a speaking opportunity at a women’s empowerment event. I applied to speak and did not think that I would get picked. I was shocked when that was not the case. Despite the fear I had lingering from the opportunity, I still went through with it because it birthed my speaking career.
YOLANDA J: What do you typically tell people when they ask you what you do? Do you tell them your title or do you tell them what you offer?
JOY: I typically tell people that I AM a LIFE COACH for women, youths, and young adults.
YOLANDA J: What do you do on a daily basis to continue your growth as an entrepreneur? What are some things you can no longer do?
JOY: Some of the things I do daily is read the Bible and pray. There are other things but I rely on the Word of God. When I add fasting to the equation, God gives me so much clarity on what to do next or what to no longer do. He also reaffirms me that He is covering and protecting me in this journey.
YOLANDA J: Knowing what you know now, what would be one piece of advice you would give yourself? Think about when you first started your business. You were walking into the unknown. If you could have given yourself a few suggestions and words of wisdom, what would they have been?
JOY: One piece of advice I would give myself is, do not limit what God wants you to do. Think BIG and never be afraid to ASK BIG.
Do not limit what God wants you to do. Think BIG and never be afraid to ASK BIG.
YOLANDA J: How would you like people to remember your platform, Speak With Joy? What will be your legacy you want to leave behind?
JOY: I want my legacy to be that Speak With Joy was about service, joy, & empowerment. In addition, I want people to remember Speak With Joy as being an #authentic movement.
Thank you Joy for sharing your entrepreneurial journey with us.
If you would like to connect with JOY, you can find her on the following social media platforms:
Instagram:@speakwithjoy
Facebook: Speak With Joy
Blog: @speakwithjoy
